Triple-expansion engine



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. P. GASKILL.

TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE. No. 394,482. Patented Dec. 11. 1888.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) H. F. GASKILL.

TRIPLE-EXPANSION ENGINE... No. 394,482. Patented 1100.11 1888.

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UNITED STATES HARVEY F. eAsxirt, or

PATENT OFFICE.

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TRIPLE-EXPANSION ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,482, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed June 4,1888. Serial No. 275,921.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY F. GASKILL, of Lockport, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Triple-Ex pansion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The main. object of this invention is to construct an engine so that the steam-passages between the cylinders shall be short and direct, and so that receivers may be dispensed with. Other objects will be apparent from the subjoined description. To these ends I arrange my three grades of cylinders side by side, the intermediate pressure-cylinder being between the high pressure and the low pressure, and I connect their pistons in such manner that the pistons of the high and low pressure cylinders move together in the same direction, and the pistons of the intermediate-pressure cylinders move in the opposite direction. By this arrangement I am enabled to exhaust the steam directly from the end of the cylinder in which it has just done its work into the cylinder of the next succeeding grade, in which it has next to operate. The invention consists in this arrangement of the cylinders and in other devices and combinations, as recited in the claims at the end hereof.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a three-cylinder triple-expansion pumpingengine containing my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the three cylinders. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the highpressure cylinder. Fig. is a similar section through the intermediate-pressure cylinder, and Fig. 4c is a similar section through the low-pressure cylinder.

In the several figures, 1 is the high-pressure cylinder; 2, its piston; 3, its piston-rod.

at is the .intermediate-pressure cylinder; 5, its piston; 6, its rod.

7 is the low-pressure cylinder; 8, its piston; 9, its pistonrod.

10 are the valves which I have indicated, but have not thought necessary to show in detail. K

11 is the steam-pipe, through which steam is admitted to the higlrpressure cylinder from the source of supply.

12 is the exhaust from the low-pressure cylinder to the condenser.

13 is a bell-crank beam oscillating about a center, 14, and having its upper'end connected a (1T0 model.)

by a suitable link, 15, to the piston-rod 3 of the high-pressure cylinder.

16 is a triangular beam oscillating about a center, 17, and connected by suitable links, 18 and 19, with the piston-rods of the lowpressure and intermediate -pressure cylinders, respectively. The lower end of beam 16 is connected to the lower end of beam 13 by a link, 20. The crank-shaftlhave shown connected by a connecting-rod, 21, with beam16.

22 is the fly-wheel on the crank-shaft.

The pumps Ihave shown as single-acting pumps, arranged one in line with the lowpressure cylinder and one in line with the intermediate-pressure cylinder, and operated by direct connection from their piston-rods.

I11 operation, supposing the piston of the high-pressure cylinder to be moving 011 its downstroke, the steam in the lower end of that cylinder will pass directly into the lower end of the intermediate-pressure cylinder 4 and force its piston 5 upward, and the steam re maining from the former stroke in the upper end of cylinder 4 will expand into the upper end of the low-pressure cylinder 7 and force its piston8 downward, and the steam remaining in the lower end of piston 7 from the last preceding stroke will be exhausted at 12. Thus it will be seen that I expand the steam from one cylinder into the next lower grade through the shortest possible passage, the passage being only long enough to go through the walls of the cylinders and have a controlling-valve.

. \Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the high, intermediate, an d low pressure cylinders arranged side by side, with their pistons moving synchronously together, the 

